In March 2002, detainees of Australia's Woomera detention centre staged a mass breakout in a spontaneous and desperate bid for freedom. Aided by hundreds of committed social activists protesting Australia's treatment of asylum seekers in mandatory detention, the breakout captured the attention and interest of human rights groups around the globe. At the frontline of the breakout, filmmaker Pip Starr captures the raw emotion and urgency of the event to create a damning indictment of Australia's inhumane immigration policies.

Features interviews with woomera escapees and others who describe the experience of seeking aslylum in a hostile Australia.

Some of the footage has been used in other forums (including SKA TV story Woomera 2002 - recently awarded prize for best news story, National Community Broadcast awards, 2004). This final and most considered edit (with an original classical score composed by Mark Daniel) captures and rekindles the spirit of hope and desperation created by a draconian policy.

Part of the Oceania Indymedia Newsreal 2
http://oceania.indymedia.org/newsreal

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